Mental toughness articles to improve performance for athletes, sports parents, and coaches.
Is mental toughness really “a thing”? Mental toughness is constantly mentioned in interviews after sporting events. For example, in practically every basketball conference tournament or NCAA tournament game, a commentator, coach, or player talks about mental toughness. But does mental toughness really exist? If so, what is it, and how can it be developed? Simply stated, mental toughness … Sport Psychology Article…
Why do some athletes seem to have a winning mindset when games extend into overtime? Is it possible to change your mindset, or is an athlete’s mindset primarily genetic? You can probably run off several athletes’ names who just seem to perform at a higher level during overtime. Athletes like LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, Breanna Stewart, and Alex … Sport Psychology Article…
When Does Thinking Become Detrimental? Is it even possible to replicate good technique in competition without thinking? Technique and mechanics are crucial for both confidence and success in sports. However, mechanics are quite detailed. There are a lot of moving parts. For a baseball pitcher to throw strikes, there are many technical variables to consider, such as … Sport Psychology Article…
Do Worrisome Thoughts Affect How you Perform? Do you tend to worry about letting your teammates down or having a bad game? Athletes who worry think too much about past poor performances or possible negative future results. Worrying about something that has yet to happen interferes with an athlete’s ability to perform at their peak. For example, an … Sport Psychology Article…
The Mindset to Always Focus Forward How long does a tough loss affect you? Some athletes can get over a loss quickly and shift their focus to the next competition. Other athletes dwell on bad games or performances; “I can’t believe I choked,” “I let my team down again,” or “We should have easily won that game.” Dwelling … Sport Psychology Article…
Do you Visualize your Athletic Performances? Is visualization a consistent component of your training regimen? Most athletes answer “no” to both of these questions. But why do so many athletes ignore visualizing performance, even after many elite, Olympic, and professional athletes attribute their success to this particular mental skill? Several reasons exist for athletes not visualizing on a … Sport Psychology Article…